E-Cigarette Explodes Causing Permanent Injury to Muskogee Man

A man in Oklahoma suffered injuries due to an e-cigarette exploding in his mouth during use. A lawyer for the Muskogee man said, “Warnings about these products are few and far between. In our experience, even retailers aren’t advising customers about the dangers of e-cigarettes.”

The plaintiff alleges that the retailer who sold him the e-cigarette did not give him any indication or warning of potential explosions. Shortly after purchasing the device, the victim was using the e-cigarette when it exploded causing him permanent injuries including facial burns and visual impairment. The man claims the retailer was negligent and has filed a lawsuit seeking financial compensation for damages, reports Fox23.com.

Since August of 2009, e-cigarette explosions have occurred an estimated 196 times, and evermore frequently, according to TheProductLawyers.com. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that most e-cigarette explosions were caused by an overload of voltage while the lithium-ion battery was charging. In some of the cases, the overload happened when plugged into a computer USB port, or a car outlet.

In April 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposed rule to claim jurisdiction over e-cigarettes. In October 2015, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued an interim rule prohibiting e-cigarettes in checked baggage and prohibiting charging them while onboard an aircraft, recognizing the devices as an “emerging safety risk,” reports safetyresearch.net.

There have been a few similar explosion cases in recent weeks. For example, on June 4, a Tustin man was taken to a local hospital after receiving severe burns from his e-cigarette exploding while he was using it. As e-cigarettes keep growing in popularity, the frequency of explosions and resulting injuries will most likely continue to rise.